$9000 Raised for "Amputee Ward"

$9000 Raised for "Amputee Ward"

September 08, 2012

On Saturday August 4th, Rock the Dock Pub & Grill in Tacoma
was a rowdy place filled with loud music, flowing beverages and a
parking lot filled with motorcycles - all for a good cause. The second
annual Rock & Rally for the Troops event, organized to benefit the
nonprofit Operation Ward 57, featured an afternoon motorcycle dice run,
silent auction and music festival that went on until the next day.

The
bands - which included notable names like Klover Jane, Big Wheel Stunt
Show, Ayron Jones & The Way, Sweetkiss Momma and Jason Kertson &
The Immortals- volunteered their time, which was a huge part of making
the event a success. Also making an appearance at the event was the
Curtis High School Navy Junior ROTC, an amazing rendition of the
national anthem by local music artist Heather Rayburn, and a high energy
performance by members of the Seahawks Blue Thunder Drum Line.

The
dice run, which was coordinated for a second year through Tacoma's
Brothers In Arms Motorcycle Club (BIAMC) Puget Sound chapter, raised
funds through the suggested donation of $15 per bike. The dice run had
close to 100 bikes out on the road for a 50-mile ride, which yielded
$1,400 toward the cause. The other moneymaker came from Rock the Dock's
generous owner, Gwen Stence, a self-proclaimed military brat who donated
the space for the event and handed over 50 percent of the beer garden's
proceeds.

Including funds from a silent auction, vendors, door
donations and the beer garden, as well as the dice run donation,
Operation Ward 57 was able to raise close to $9,000!

The event is already on the books for next year- Saturday August 3rd, 2013.

Founded
in 2007, Operation Ward 57 has grown into a reliable support system for
wounded Servicemembers who have been assigned to the orthopedic ward at
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (known as the "amputee
ward) and their families. For more information, visit
www.operationward57.org or www.rockandrallyforthetroops.com.